Me With No You
by Isaac Clarke117
Summary: When both Laney and Lenny are tired of their lead singers ignorance of their feelings, they decide to leave their respective bands. Its up to Corey and Carrie to decide what's more important, the gig or friends.
1. Chapter 1

Grojband belong to Todd Kauffman and Mark Thornton

It was a bright and sunny day in the small town of Peaceville. Summer vacation occupied the minds of many of Peaceville children, including a certain garage band. And it was on this particular day that Corey Riffen, lead singer and guitarist of said band, sat bored out of his skull. His best friends, their faces as equally bored, sat unmoving on his couch.

It had been over a week since the bands last gig, a Battle of the Bands sort of competition with the Newmans. It had been fierce and powerful, neither band wanting to give up. Thankfully, in part due to Trina's diary, Grojband won the battle and the right to play in front of the local preschoolers. Looking over it now, the near death experience with the fireworks probably weren't worth it. But seeing the anger and humiliation of Carrie's face after she lost, totally was.

Corey smiled at the memory, something that did not go unnoticed by the only female member of the band.

"Whatcha smiling about Core?" Laney asked him.

Corey sighed.

"Nothing much. Just remembering last weeks victory"

Kin's eyes suddenly grew wide and terrified.

"Sorry Kin. No fireworks around, don't worry" Corey tried to comfort his friend.

Kin sighed in relief. His eyebrows still hadn't grown back yet, and his mothers makeup was really irritating his skin.

"Speaking of last weeks gig" Laney returned to the conversation, "Do we have any new ones planned yet?"

Corey shook his head. The entire band had combed the entire town looking for a gig. Nothing had turned up, leaving Grojband bored and without jobs.

"What we need now is a completely random and unexpected event that will move the story along in such a way that the reader will stick with the story" Kon spoke up.

"Your right bro. But what?"

A large door swung open, creating a bang that made the four friends jump in the air. A tall pink haired demon, uh girl, strode through the doorway, her faithful friend following closely behind.

"What are you dweebs doing now?" Trina glared at them.

"What do you care?" Corey glared back.

Trina rolled her eyes.

"I don't. I just don't want to hear the constant annoying sounds you dorks keep making"

"Ha. She called you a dork" Kon nudged his brother.

"No, she called you a dork" Kin said, pushing him back.

Kon responded with a push of his own. Kin glared at his brother.

"Dork" he said.

That was the final straw. Kon launched himself at his brother and the two began brawling. The dust of the fight soon enveloped Laney, tossing her around a little before flying through the air and landing in Corey's arms.

"Thanks Core" Laney said, a small tint of pink springing from her cheeks.

Corey didn't seem to hear her, his focus completely on the two brothers.

"Come on guys, stop fighting"

Trina began laughing from atop her perch. Any day she ruins something of her brother's is a good day in her book.

"Whatever smojband. I'm going back to my room to admire my new pictures of Nick Mallory, and I don't want to be interrupted again" she glared at Corey.

She turned toward Mina.

"Move it Mina!"

"Yes ma'am" Mina saluted, carrying the pink haired queen back into her room.

Corey shook his head. Why did Trina hate him so much?

"I really hate her" Laney muttered.

Corey noticed that he still held her in his arms. He set her down, ignoring a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. He turned back to the twins.

"Guys!" he tried to call to them.

"What!" they shouted as they continued to fight.

"Look out for the power cords"

The twins soon found the cords themselves, spiraling toward the desk holding the small TV. The impact ignited the screen to life.

"Wait a sec guys. Listen" Laney said as Buzz Newsworthy appeared on the screen.

"_Good morning Peaceville. I'm Buzz Newsworthy, and boy does my name hold up. I'm standing here, in front of the Peaceville Hall Of Ceremony, happy to announce to coming of the "World Peace Event". For those of you who don't know, the event is a celebration of togetherness and understanding set up by Mayor Mellow and the City Council. Though brand new, the event has been noticed by many foreign dignitaries, all of them overjoyed to come to the event. Because of this, the event will be broadcast worldwide. However, the only way to get in…"_

"Did you hear that guys?" Corey suddenly said, drowning out the rest of the newscaster words.

"A giant event with worldwide broadcasting that could promote a small town band to fame and fortune? Nope, didn't hear it" Kon shrugged.

"This could be Grojband's biggest event yet. We have to play at that gig".

"But Core, we don't have any lyrics" Laney tried to explain,

"Don't worry about it Lanes. Have I ever steered you guys wrong before?"

"Well, there was that one time with the baseball…" Kin rubbed his chin in remembrance.

"Kin!" Corey coughed, "Anyway, I have a plan. One that just might work"

(What's Going To Happen Transition!)

Mayor Mellow smiled at the Hall of Ceremony. This event was going to change Peaceville forever, he only wished he had a musical group to perform however.

"Mayor Mellow"

Speak of the devil.

"Look kids, I'm really very busy. Just tell me what you want before I get dizzy."

Corey nodded, brandishing his guitar.

"We want to play at the World Peace Event"

Mayor Mellow thought for a moment before examining the band.

"Well, I suppose…"

"Wait!" a female voice suddenly shouted.

Corey narrowed his eyes. He knew that voice from anywhere.

"The Newmans".


	2. Chapter 2

"It is so not fair" Carrie mumbled, grabbing another cheese fry from the pile.

Kim and Konnie nodded with sympathy. It wasn't that hard to see that their friend was upset. Even a trip to the malls food court didn't seem to cheer her up.

"I mean, we are so much better than those garage band losers. Why do we keep losing to them?"

Kim shook her head.

"No idea"

Carrie huffed. The competition had been a week ago, and yet she still remained angry. She was sick of always losing gigs to Corey Riffen and his loser friends. What did they have that the Newmans didn't?

"Hey, where's Lenny?" Konnie asked.

Kim shrugged.

"I think he went to grab some more food," she suggested.

Carrie sighed, eating another fry.

"I just don't get it"

"Hey girls" a male voice said.

Carrie turned in her chair, happy to see that the only male member of the band was back. He set the tray down on the table, pulling a chair up next to Carrie.

"What are we talking about?" he asked.

Carrie rolled her eyes.

"Stupid Grojband" she mumbled.

Lenny smiled. Carrie got worked up easily when it came to their rival band. Personally, he shared no animosity toward Corey and his friends. Carrie only hated them by association. Unlike the Riffen siblings, she loved her sister. She couldn't stand the thought that the one person she looked up to in life was Trina Riffen's servant. This hate carried over to Corey, and thus, his band.

"Is this low fat?" Kim suddenly asked.

Lenny nodded. He would never understand the girl's obsession to stay fit. Kim was pretty skinny for her height, and Konnie didn't seem to mind what she ate half the time. And Carrie? Well, she would always be perfect to him.

"Do we have any leads on a new gig?" Carrie asked the group.

Kim shook her head, slowly taking a bite of her burger.

"I've been searching everywhere. Its like some outside force is stopping us from finding one"

"Like a plot device?" Konnie asked.

Kim stared at the blond, a questionable look on her face.

"Yes?" she answered, unsure of what Konnie was getting at.

Konnie folded her arms.

"Man I hate those"

"How about you Lenny" Carrie asked.

Lenny snapped out of his dream like state.

"Nothing yet" he hastily replied, beads of sweat appearing on his face.

This caught Carrie's attention. Had he been staring at her? Did she have something in her teeth?

"Eeeeeeeek! Is that Grojband?" a high-pitched voice squealed.

"I think so" another voice accompanied it.

"You think Corey will play tonight at the event?"

"I sure hope so"

Carrie groaned. This was not what she needed right now. Grojband's little groupies were always mistaking them for Corey and his friends. They didn't even look alike.

"Get lost", Carrie said, turning to meet them.

Kate and Allie frowned, clearly disappointed.

"Whatever. You're not even cool enough to look like Grojband anyway", Kate stuck her tongue out at them.

Allie giggled at the joke and the two of them walked away.

"Huh. I wonder if they were talking about the World Peace event tonight?" Kim said.

"World Peace Event?" This caught Carrie's attention.

"Yeah. It's this huge event celebrating peace and togetherness. It's supposed to be televised worldwide".

Carrie felt a light bulb go off in her head.

"Girls, I think we found our new gig" she smiled at them.

Lenny groaned. He hated it when Carrie called him a girl. Was it that hard to see that he was a guy?

The band threw their trash away and stepped outside. Carrie began walking before she suddenly stopping in her tracks. She turned back to her band mates.

"I have no idea where I'm going" she guiltily smiled.

Lenny rolled his eyes. Carrie tended to not think things through when it came a new gig.

"Where's the event going to be held" Konnie asked.

Kim grabbed her phone and searched through it.

"Peaceville's Hall of Ceremony"

"That's on the other side of town" Lenny sighed, "It'll take all day to get there"

Carrie smiled at him.

"Come on Lens .You say that like it's a bad thing"

Lenny was about to reply, when Kim suddenly cut him off.

"Look, a bus to the Hall of Ceremony"

"How convenient", Konnie smiled.

Carrie winked at Lenny.

"Told you"

Lenny felt his cheeks grow slightly pink.

"Whatever" he mumbled.

**(Convenient Vehicle Transition!)**

The Newmans soon found themselves at the foot of the stairs leading up to the hall. Carrie stared up ahead.

"I think I see Mayor Mellow up ahead," she said.

The band raced up the steps, the mayor well within their sight. Before they could reach him however, a familiar shape caused Carrie to narrow her eyes.

"Riffen" she hissed.

Lenny turned to see that Grojband was racing to the mayor as well. This was not good.

"Not this time Grojband" Carrie muttered, putting on a burst of speed.

"Wait" she called out to the Mayor.

Her shout had interrupted the Mayor's conversation with Corey, making both turn toward the sound of her voice. This was going to be tougher than she thought.


	3. Chapter 3

Authors Note: Before I start chapter 3, I wanted to thank everyone for reading. You guys are really supportive and help inspire me to write more. Because of your support, I really want to make an effort to put out some more chapters, so stay tuned.

**P.S. For those wondering, the story used to be called Take a Hint.**

The two blue haired vocalists glared at each other, neither one willing to break away from the gaze.

"What are you guys doing here?" Corey asked, his voice dripping with venom.

Carrie scoffed at him.

"Like its any its any of your business" she snapped back.

"If you're here to play at the World Peace Event, you're to late. We already reserved the gig" Kin spoke up.

Kim rolled her eyes.

"Like you guys could ever accomplish something like that" she smirked.

Kon quickly grabbed a hold of his brother, moments before Kin was about to launch himself toward the Newmans keyboardist.

"Whoa now, I never actually said who was going to play tonight" Mayor Mellow said.

Both bands turned toward him, an expression of bewilderment on their faces.

"What!" they cried in unison.

Mayor Mellow gulped and adjusted his tie. He had not signed up for this.

"All I'm saying is that I don't know whose playing."

"But we got here first. We should be the ones playing on T.V" Corey pleaded.

"That doesn't automatically make you the best choice bozo. We, the Newmans, are a much better band. I doubt you could even play in front of a daycare, much less world wide" Carrie snapped.

The two began another stare down before the Mayor whistled back their attention.

"Slow down. This is no time to frown."

Ignoring their confused looks, the Mayor pulled the portrait of his mother from his coat.

"Oh what should we do mother? This situation is out of control"

The portrait, to no surprise, did not yield an answer. The two bands scratched their heads. As he pulled the portrait closer, his eyes suddenly grew wide.

"Why, that is a great idea mother. I'll tell them right away".

Putting the portrait away, the mayor turned toward the two bands.

"Because I am nice, and an okay fellow, you get the generosity of old Mayor Mellow. Both Grojband and the Newmans will have a little competition".

"Wouldn't that go against the idea of peace and togetherness?" Laney asked.

The Mayor shook his head.

"By playing against each other, you would represent all the fighting and destruction within the world. But when one of you wins, the other band will accept that with kind generosity. By doing so, the theme of peace will be withheld"

"That seems a little philosophical for a short story" Kin said.

The Mayor shrugged, and gave a little smile.

"Both of you will take turns playing in front of the crowds at the event. Whomever the guests choose as the best, will go on to perform in the main event show".

"So, technically, both of us will play at the event?" Lenny asked.

"Yes. But only the main event will be televised"

This got Corey's attention.

"We are so going to play that event," he cried.

Carrie smirked.

"Yeah right. Last weeks competition was a lucky victory for you guys. Me and my girls are totally going to kick your butts this time".

"Yeah right. The dudes of Grojband will never lose to sore losers like you"

Both Laney and Lenny sighed. Being called the opposite gender always felt degrading and stupid.

"Come on Grojband, lets go practice" Corey called to them.

"Lets go girls" Carrie also called to her band.

Before either band could take a step, the Mayor suddenly jumped up in the air.

"Oh boy, I almost forgot" he turned toward the bands, "Since the event is about "Togetherness", all invites are required to have a date"

"Say what now?" Lenny asked.

"A date. Don't know who, but it can't just be you", the mayor began walking away, "Enjoy the event".

As both lead signers watched the quirky mayor walk away, a single thought crossed both their minds. Who would they take as a date?


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the long wait guys. Hope you enjoy the chapter.**

A torrent of emotions tumbled in Carrie's mind. She needed to bring a date? With a boy? She barely knew any boys her own age. Spending time with a band full of girls didn't leave her much time to meet and greet with different boys. As a matter of fact, the only boy she even knew closely was Lenny.

Though Lenny was a boy, Carrie always tried to treat him as one of the girls. She figured it would make him feel more comfortable in the group of females. He helped out with the gigs, always went along with her crazy antics, and made her feel generally happy. Lenny was her best friend; she couldn't imagine her life without him.

A strange feeling emerged in her stomach at that last thought. Lenny was just a friend, a guy hanging with friends that just happen to be girls. He was no different than Kim or Konnie. Its not like they went on dates or anything. Or did they?

"That's it," she muttered.

She turned her eyes toward her rivals.

"Too bad Riffen" she mocked.

Corey, who had been busy coming up with his own solution to the dilemma, was suddenly brought to attention.

"Too bad what?" he cautiously asked.

Carrie smiled.

"I already have a date for the event"

Lenny stared at his band mate. When did this happen? How could Carrie have found a date so quickly? And how far could he run before Lenny would beat the crud out of him?

"Who's your date?" Corey asked, surprised that his eternal rival had found a date before him.

In a swift, fluid motion, Carrie wrapped around Lenny and pulled him closer. The sudden action by his crush caused the bassist's face to turn a deep shade of red.

"Lenny of course" Carrie smiled, "I wouldn't dream of going with anybody else".

The slow realization of what was happening, combined with his proximity to his crush, made Lenny almost burst with joy. This day was going better than he expected.

…...

Corey stared at the pair. He had no idea Carrie and Lenny were dating. This was bad. If Carrie had a date before him, the Newmans would be one step closer to the worldwide broadcast. He couldn't let that happen.

"Heh. I guess Lenny's happy about that" Laney suddenly spoke up.

Corey turned toward her, a thought forming in his head. Laney was a girl, though he sometimes seemed to forget that, and perfectly eligible of going to the event with him. They could go as friends, play the gig, and become world famous. The plan was perfect.

"Hey Carrie" he called out.

The vocalist of the Newmans stared at him. Her arm tightened around Lenny.

"What?"

"I already have a date too" Corey smiled.

Almost copying Carries previous movement just a few seconds ago, Corey placed his arm around his red-haired friend.

"Core?" the red-faced bassist looked at him questioningly.

"Roll with it Lanes. Its just to get us inside the event" Corey whispered.

Laney's face dropped. Of course it was. How could she ever think it would be anything more.

"Yeah" she said, turning toward the Newmans, "Me and Core are going together".

Carrie raised an eyebrow. She didn't think Corey had it in him to ask a girl out on a date.

"Well then. I guess we'll see you there" Carrie glared.

"I guess so" Corey frowned.

"Um, Corey?"

Corey turned around, the view of Kin appearing in his view.

"Yes"

"Where are Kon and I going to get dates?" the keyboardist asked.

"Yeah. And what about Konnie and me" Kim spoke up as well.

"Shoot. I completely forgot about that" Carrie scratched her head.

The two vocalists thought to themselves for a moment. Kin, Kon, Kim, and Konnie, all stared at their friends, a curious look on their faces.

"I have an idea," Corey suddenly said.

Carrie nodded.

"So do I" she said.

The two spoke for a quick second before turning to their friends.

"Carrie and I have an idea. As much as the idea disgusts me to my very Core…"

"Trust me. Its not any better for us either"

"We decided that the two pairs could go together. Kin would go with Kim, and Kon with Konnie. This would insure both bands are able to get in, as well as provide equal chance for the main show".

"What!" Kin shouted.

Kon stared in place for a moment, lost in his own thoughts.

"Sure, why not" he shrugged.

Kin grabbed his brother.

"Are you crazy bro? You want to go on a date with a Newman?" Kin began shaking his twin back and forth.

"Like going on a date with you losers is any better" Kim glared.

"Calm down dude. All we need to do is appear to be on a date. We'll get in. play, and it'll be fine" Kon tried to calm his frantic twin.

Kin sighed.

"Fine. If they're okay with it, so am I"

Kim and Konnie give a quick glance to each other. Their eyes lock for a moment before they both turn toward the guys and nod.

Corey smiled.

"Perfect. Now that's that all done with, lets go practice!"

Corey grabbed Laney, swung her onto his back, piggyback style, and began running home. The two twins ran after him, giving wheezing breaths as they followed.

"Lets go Newmans" Carrie raised her fist in the air.

Her band mates cheered, and they to left to practice.

**Time Before Event: 11 Hours.**


	5. Chapter 5

Thought the plan had gone off without a hitch, Corey felt something was wrong. Nobody seemed to want to talk on the way back. Even Kon's cheerful face was shrouded in unhappiness. It made sense that both the twins would be unhappy with the turn out of events, but why was Laney so down in the dumps.

"You okay Lanes?" he asked her.

Laney nodded, but the look never disappeared from her face.

"You sure?"

"I'm fine Core!" Laney snapped.

A look of confusion flashed across Corey's face.

"You don't sound fine" he said, raising his eyebrow.

Laney stopped walking for a moment, turning toward her friend. Kin and Kon both took notice and stopped walking as well.

"I'm fine Core, really. Just, slightly disappointed"

"Disappointed?"

This time, Corey was really confused. Laney massaged her temples.

"Just forget it. All I want to do right now is get back and practice"

As she began walking away, Corey racked his brain. What could have made her so disappointed? His eyes widened, as a sudden realization seemed to hit him. He reached out and grabbed Laney's arm.

"Wait Lanes. I think I know what's wrong"

Now it was Laney's turn to look confused.

"You do?"

"Of course. It would be impossible not to see it" Corey smiled.

Lanes began smiling hopefully before a sudden thought occurred to her.

"Alright, why don't you tell me then" she said.

Corey blushed slightly.

"Are you sure about that?' he rubbed the back of his head.

Laney nodded. She was tired of getting her hopes up for nothing. It was time she got some answers.

Corey sighed.

"Look, I know I'm not great with girls. Sure, I can be friendly and all, but when it comes to dating, I'm clueless. I admit I was desperate and dragged you into this thing. Lanes, you're the prettiest girl in Peaceville. You could have taken anybody you wanted to the event tonight. Now you're upset that someone like me just pulled you into this situation. I'm sorry".

Laney blinked.

"W-what" she stuttered.

Corey placed a hand on her shoulder. Laney could feel her heart beating rapidly and her face heating up. Corey smiled at her with his vibrant eyes.

"But have no fear Lanes. As friends, we'll beat the Newmans and get that worldwide fame. Then you can date anybody you want. Everything's going to work out fine"

Laney mentally slapped herself. She did it again.

"Hey Corey? I hate to interrupt this personal moment and all, but how are we going to get lyrics?" Kin suddenly spoke up.

Corey withdrew his hand from Laney, disappointing her greatly, and tapped his head.

"Don't worry guys. I have a plan"

Kin stared at him.

"Go on" he said, rolling his hands.

"Oh. You want to know the plan now?"

"Yes. Now would be preferable"

Corey shrugged.

"Its simple. All we need to do is get Nick Mallory to ask Trina to the event. We'll get the lyrics, play the song, and become world famous".

"Okay, first question. Trina only writes for one song, how are we going to get two? And second, how in the world are you going to convince Nick Mallory to go on a date with your sister?" Laney asked.

"Future Corey will worry about the double lyrics. And as for how to convince Nick, I have a plan that just might work"

The band rolled their eyes.

"Here we go again" muttered Laney.

**(Finding Nick Transition)**

"Sure, Nick Mallory would be happy to take your sister to the World Peace Event" Nick Mallory smiled.

"Thanks Nick" Corey said, watching the rather attractive teenager walk away.

The band stood dumbstruck at what just happened.

"You just asked him? No drastic plan involving kidnapping, and interdimensional wormholes?"

Corey chuckled.

"Come on Lanes, not everything needs to be that complicated. But go idea for future reference"

A vein began throbbing on Laney's head. Kin and Kon slowly began walking away.

"Heh. You're kinda cute when you're made" Corey smiled.

Laney's expression changed instantly into one of happiness and confusion. Realizing what he said, Corey quickly backtracked.

"That is to say, uh" Corey began scratching his head.

"Guys, we still need to practice" Kon said.

Corey nodded, and pointed to the sun.

"Alright, lets get back to the garage".


	6. Chapter 6

"Whelp, I'm out of ideas," Carrie said, throwing up her hands in frustration.

The moment the Newmans arrived back at Carrie's house. Their own base of operations, Carrie had started to write lyrics for the event. Unfortunately, her mind remained blank. Lenny gave her a supportive back pat and sat down next to her on the porch.

"Thanks Lens" she smiled at him.

He nodded. Comforting his best friend was as easy to him as breathing.

"What are you trying to write the songs about?" he asked her.

Carrie shrugged.

"I don't know. I figured something about peace and love would be a good choice"

"Really? That sounds so simple" Lenny smiled sarcastically.

Carrie laughed and punched him in the arm.

"Yeah right"

Lenny smiled, savoring the moment. Kim and Konnie were inside, getting refreshments for them. This left himself and his crush all alone.

"Just try to think of things you like" he suggested.

Carrie nodded, tapping a finger to her chin.

"Well, I like music. And hanging out with my with you guys is always fun"

She turned toward Lenny.

"But how do I turn that into a song?"

Before the red head was able to respond, the loud greeting of Kim made them both turn,

"We got some lemonade," she said, carrying a tray of glasses.

"Can you believe this drink was only invented a few months ago?" Konnie said, her hands filled with pitchers of the yellow liquid.

The girls sat themselves between Lenny and Carrie, upsetting the former greatly.

"Whatcha guys talking about?" Kim asked, handing a drink to Carrie.

"Nothing much. Just trying to create lyrics for tonight" said Carrie.

"Really? You usually come up with lyrics pretty easily" Konnie spoke up.

"I know. I'm so frustrated right now!"

Kim and Konnie exchanged glances.

"Well, you could always ask Lenny" Kim suggested.

Lenny did a spit take.

"What!" he cried.

"Yeah. Kim and I always see you writing poems and stuff all the time" Konnie nodded.

"They actually pretty good too" Kim spoke up.

Lenny stared at the two of them.

"You guys actually read them!?"

"Well duh. As your friends, it's our job to invade your privacy" Kim said, acting as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Lens, you wrote a song?" Carrie asked.

Lenny began sweating.

"Well, I only wrote one. It's honestly not even that good" he said nervously.

"Can I see it?"

Lenny rubbed the back of his head.

"I don't know Care, Its kinda private" he said, feeling his face begin to get warmer.

Carrie, determined to get the information out of her friend, put on her best puppy dog eyes. Lenny tried resisting, but felt himself give way. He could never resist those stupid eyes.

"Fine" he said, pulling a sheet of lined paper from his pocket.

Carrie smiled and snatched it from his hand. Lenny watched her read it, a growing feeling of dread growing in his stomach. When she finished, she stared at her bassist.

"You wrote this?" she asked him.

He nodded, refusing to look her in the eye. Unbeknownst to the rest of the band, Lenny had actually written the song for Carrie. It was supposed to a present for her birthday, as well as a confession of his feelings. He closed his eyes, awaiting the negative comments he was sure were coming.

"Lens, this is amazing" Carrie grinned at him.

He swerved to face her.

"Really?"

"Of course. This is exactly what we need for the event. We'll use the song for the first act and blow Grojband away. By that time, I'll have thought up lyrics for the second song and we'll become world famous"

Lenny smiled. This was going better than he expec…

"I mean, it's just so corny and stupid. Those people at the event tonight will be putty in our hands"

Lenny felt his happiness deflate.

"Oh yeah. Of course" he muttered.

Carrie pushed her self up and turned toward her band.

"Come on Newmans. Lets do this thing".

**Authors Note: Hey guys. Again, I'm sorry about the long updates. I won't bore you with the details, but I am pretty busy. But that aside, I have a question. Ultimately, both bands will have to sing a song. My question is, do you want me to write the lyrics for all of them, or would you be all right if I used songs from other sources. Either choice will work for me, but I want to see what you guys would prefer. Thanks again for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

It was about 3 when Grojband finally arrived at Corey's house. Kon began panting loudly.

"It took us, like, three chapters to get here" he gasped/

Kin gave him a supportive pat on the back as Corey threw the garage door open.

"Hello" he called, "Trina?"

The garage remained silent, prompting Corey to try again.

"Hello. Trina, you there?"

Once again he was met with silence. He smirked.

"Nick Mallory's here" he called.

Trina appeared in an instant, her face filled with happiness and glee.

"Nick Mallory. Where?" she said, her eyes darting everywhere.

When she realized that the hunky teenager was not there, and that her brother had tricked her, Trina stared at Corey with the force of a thousand suns.

"You tricked me," she growled.

Corey shrugged.

"Fair enough. But hey, since your out here, would you mind doing me a favor?"

Trina glared at him suspiciously.

"What kind of favor?" she asked.

Corey glanced at his band, their looks of support pushing him along. He faced his sister.

"Would you mind taking us to the World Peace event tonight? Please?" he pleaded.

Trina blinked, processing the information that had just reached her ears. She burst out laughing.

"Are you kidding me? Why would I give you dorks a ride to that stupid event?"

"Because deep down you have a deep and compassionate side that loves her little brother and would be happy to help him" Corey suggested.

Trina rolled her eyes.

"Yeah right"

She suddenly look at the rest of the band.

"Why do you guys want to go anyway? Don't you need a date or something?" she asked them.

Corey nodded.

"We do. I'm going with Lanes, and Kin and Kon are going with two members from Mina's sisters band" he explained/

Trina stared t him.

"Your going on a date with a guy?" she asked him, her eyebrow raised.

Laney glared at Trina, sudden thoughts of ripping the smug teenagers hair off flashing through her mind.

Corey looked at his sister with confusion.

"What? No, of course not. Lanes is a girl. You'd have to be an idiot to believe otherwise"

Kin and Kon suddenly began whistling in the corner.

Trina ignored them, throwing her shoulders in the air.

"Whatever. I'm still not taking you losers"

Trina suddenly felt her phone began ringing.

"Hello" she answered.

An instant grin appeared on her face.

"Oh hey Nick" she giggled.

She began walking around the garage, the band only able to her bits and pieces of the conversation.

"Yeah, the event looks really cool. No, I don't have a date. W-what? Really! Y-yeah no problem. Bye".

Trina turned her phone off and squealed with delight.

"Hunky Nick Mallory just asked me out on date. This is the best day of my life"

Trina began grinning like mad, causing Corey to smile as well.

"Diary in 3,2,1…"

Trina soon launched her self into the air, clouds of hearts and pink surrounding her. She began writing in her diary.

"How does she float like that?" Laney asked.

Corey shook his head.

"No idea Lanes. No idea"

The diary event soon ended, the diary itself falling neatly into Corey's hand. Trina fell soon after, making a soft impact with the couch. Corey walked over to her.

"So, can we get a ride?" he asked her.

Dazed, and a little loopy, Trina nodded. Corey fist pumped in victory before returning to his band.

"Come on guys. Lets practice"

**(Practice Time Transition)**

As the band began practicing, Laney couldn't help but look over at her crush. What had he meant when he called her cute? Was it just a slip of the tongue, or something else? She played the last note of the song before an idea popped into her head.

"Hey Core"

Corey glanced over at her. He unwrapped his guitar from his shoulder and set it down in its case.

"Yeah Lanes" he replied.

Laney took a deep breath.

" I was just thinking. You know how events like this are formal and junk"

"Yeah"

"Well, usually during events like that, people dance with each other."

"Okay" Corey nodded, his comprehension coming slow.

"Well, maybe you and I should practice dancing with each other before we go. Like for practice and stuff".

"Oh" Corey said, his face slowly turning red.

"What a great idea" Kin suddenly spoke.

"Yeah. Dancing would go great with our song too," Kon added.

Corey sighed.

"I don't know guys"

Laney face grew downcast.

"Its alright Core. Just a wild idea I had" she tried to smile.

Corey frowned. He hated seeing his best friend like this.

"Well, if you think it'll help" he smiled walking over to her.

He held out his hand and bowed.

"May I have this dance?" he smiled.

Laney felt her face turning red. She gulped and reached out, allowing Corey to gingerly envelope her hand in his. He suddenly pulled her closer to him, their chests merely inches apart.

"Uh, me and Kon are gonna head home now. We need to get ready for tonight" Kin said, scratching the back of his head.

"We do?" Kon looked at his brother.

Kin nodded pushing his brother out of the garage.

"See you guys tonight" he called back.

Laney ignored them, the closeness between her self and Corey the only thing occupying her mind.

"I'm gonna be honest with you Lanes. I'm not really much of a dancer" Corey admitted.

Laney raised her eyebrow.

"Really" she smirked, "I never would have guessed"

Corey rolled his eyes playfully and the two began dancing. Their motions were slow, but very solid and smooth. Though no music was playing, Corey allowed the beat of his heart guide his rhythm. Which, at this moment, was starting to beat rather rapidly. As he twirled Laney around, he couldn't help but see a look of pure happiness upon her face.

"Not bad" she chuckled as Corey caught her.

Corey smiled, titling Laney downward. By pure instinct, he felt his face grow closer and closer to hers. Soon, their lips were barley and inch apart. Both of them had bright red faces.

"Uh, Core" Laney muttered.

Corey suddenly dropped Laney on the ground, her back hitting the ground with a soft smack.

"Whew, that was fun" Corey nervously chuckled, refusing to look at his band mate on the ground.

Laney stared at him fort a moment, hurt clearly evident on her face. She sighed and pushed herself up.

"Yeah" she muttered.

She grabbed her base and walked toward the garage door.

"I'm gonna head home now Core. I'll see you later tonight" she waved.

"Yeah. See ya Lanes" Corey said, still refusing to look at her.

Laney sighed again and walked away. Corey watched her go, a new feeling of guilt and sadness suddenly gripping his heart. What was going on with him?


	8. Chapter 8

Lenny gulped and pulled on the collar of his tux.

"Calm down" he told himself, "You're only taking the girl of your dreams out on a pretend date. There's nothing to be nervous about"

And yet the daunting look of Carries front door froze him to the spot. What if he messed up? Would their friendship survive? And if it didn't, how could he live with himself? Lenny took a deep breath and knocked on the door. He would just have to wait and see.

"I'll get it," a voice shouted from inside the house.

Lenny heard the sound of a lock being unlatched and felt his eyes grow wide as the door finally opened. Carrie, his best friend and object affection, stood before him wearing the most beautiful black dress Lenny had ever seen. Her face had also be cleaned up with a nice layer of makeup, making her face sparkle as bright as her diamond earring. Her familiar orange beanie still graced the top of her head, not surprising Lenny in the slightest. She loved that thing more than life itself sometimes.

"Hey Lens" she smiled at him.

Lenny smiled back, offering his arm to her.

"Hey Car. Ready to go?"

Carrie nodded, lacing her arm with his.

"You bet"

She turned back to her house.

"Bye Mom, Mina"

"Bye Carrie. Have fun tonight" her older sister yelled back, a tone of disappointment somewhat evident in her voice.

Lenny stared at Carrie.

"What was that about?" he asked her as she closed the door.

Carrie shrugged.

"No idea. Teenagers are weird"

"Car, were technically teenagers"

"True. I will admit you are pretty weird"

Lenny mocked fake surprise.

"I'm offended Carrie. How could I possibly be weird?"

Carrie laughed.

"No idea Lens. Maybe because you hang out with a bunch a girls in a band?"

"And what's wrong with a weird guy hanging out with weird girls?" Lenny smiled.

Carrie punched him in the arm playfully.

"Whatever girl. Lets just hope we can pull this gig off tonight"

Lenny nodded.

"I'm sure we'll do just fine" he smiled.

Carrie nodded tightening her arm around his.

"Thanks Lens"

The two continued their walk, enjoying the evening air and twinkling stars above. It wasn't long before the event center came into sight.

"Wow" Carrie breathed.

Millions of lights glittered across the event hall, lighting it up like a Christmas tree. They shined down on the hundreds of people below, each one looking dignified and happy.

"I'm suddenly feeling very nervous" Lenny said.

Carrie took a deep breath and turned to here band mate.

"Come on Lens, this is no time for doubt. Lets find Kim and Konnie and show all these people how the Newmans rock out!"

Lenny smirked.

"Alright, lets to this"

**(Switch it up Transition)**

Corey inspected his look in the mirror. He found himself wearing the blue attire that he worn at the wedding gig. The one he wore when he sang the duet with Laney.

"Laney" he whispered to himself.

The incident in the garage still plagued the young guitarists mind. Laney was his best friend, a person he could always rely on and trust. He didn't want to do anything to jeopardize that. But then, why had he had he wanted to kiss her? To hold her in his arms and never let her go?

Corey sighed, and straightened his bow-tie. He needed to focus on the gig right now. The relationship between Laney and himself would have to wait.

"Hey dweeb, you coming or what?" Trina yelled from her car.

"Yeah. I'm coming right now!" he shouted back.

Corey took one last look in the mirror and dashed to the pink car.

"Hey little Riffen" Nick Mallory greeted from the drivers seat.

Since Trina had promised her brother a ride, something Nick Mallory found very cool, the attractive teenager had offered to walk to the Riffen household and drive everyone over to the event. Normally, Trina would destroy anyone who even dared ask to drive her car. Considering it was Nick Mallory however, the pink haired girl had swooned and given him the keys instantly.

"Hey Nick" Corey greeted back.

Trina sighed with frustration.

"I can't believe I have to share my car with my dorky brother and his stupid friends" she mumbled.

"Nick Mallory thinks it's really cool of Trina Riffen to take little bro Riffen to the event. Nick Mallory always likes to see siblings get along"

Trina nodded, hearts in her eyes.

"Yeah" she agreed, "Me and Corey are the best of friends"

Corey scoffed, but was silenced from saying anything by a death glare from Trina.

Nick Mallory put the car in motion, and pulled out into the street.

"So, which house belongs to the red haired dude in your band" Trina asked Corey.

Corey glared at her.

"One, her name is Laney. And two, it's the second house on the left. The big yellow one"

Nick Mallory nodded, and pulled up into the driveway of the house.

"Be sure to hurry Corey Riffen, the event starts in one hour" Nick Mallory called to Corey as the blue haired boy climbed out of the car.

Corey gave him a thumbs up before walking up to the front door. He pulled of his beanie for a moment, letting the wind cool of his extra nerves. With a deep breath, he knocked on the door. It swung open immediately, revealing a rather tall woman in red hair.

"Oh, hey Corey" the woman smiled.

"Hey Mrs. Penn, I'm here to pick up Lanes. Is she ready?"

Mrs. Penn nodded.

"She'll be coming shortly. Just saying goodbye to her father"

A loud sob came from the house.

"He's really happy to see Laney growing up" Mrs. Penn chuckled.

Corey smiled and nodded.

"Of course Mrs. Penn. I am too"

Laney's mother smiled warmly.

"I can't believe that it was just eight years ago that you guys were playing house together. I always knew you guys would make a cute couple. Why, just the other day, Laney was talking about…"

"Mom" a familiar voice interrupted them.

Mrs. Penn turned around, blocking Corey's view from his friend.

"Oh, hey honey. How's your father?"

"He's fine. Nearly got choked in a death hug thought"

Mrs. Penn sighed.

"Yeah, he can be like that sometimes. By the way, Corey is here to pick you up"

Mrs. Penn stepped to the side, revealing Laney and her base.

"Hey Core" she waved at her friend.

Laney, like Corey, was wearing the exact same outfit as the cake gig. Only this time, something about her was different. Somehow, she seemed to be glowing.

"Wow" Corey whispered.

Laney blushed slightly, looking over her outfit.

"I know it's not exactly brand new, but it was the only one I had. Maybe I should go change…"

"No!" Corey suddenly shouted.

The two females stared at him.

"Erm, I mean, you don't have to do that. I think you look just fine" Corey said.

Laney beamed at him.

"You really think so?" she asked.

Corey smiled at her.

"Lanes, you look wonderful tonight. Now come one, we still need to pick up Kin and Kon" he said, holding out his hand.

Laney nodded, took his hand, and rushed out the door.

"Bye Mom!" she called behind her.

"Bye honey. Have fun tonight" her mother called back, a knowing smile forming on her face.

As the pink car pulled away, Mrs. Penn found herself chuckling.

"I knew it" she smiled, "I always knew it".

**Authors Note: Alright guys, its full steam ahead. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far, you guys are the best. And a special thanks to those who suggested songs and helped me decide which ones to use. I won't spoil it now, but I think they're pretty cool. Anyway, read, review, and Rock On!**


	9. Chapter 9

"Can you see them yet?"

"No. I can't find them anywhere"

Carrie sighed and rubbed her temples.

"Where could they possibly be? I asked them to specifically meet us at the entrance"

Lenny shrugged.

"No idea. They can't get in without their dates, so they have to be out here," he said.

"What if those guys from Grojband already got here? They could've gone inside with them."

" I highly doubt that. Remember how they reacted after hearing who their dates had to be?"

Carrie rolled her eyes.

"How could I forget? It's all they talked about during practice. You'd think they had some sort of crush on those losers"

Lenny was about to respond, but was cut short due to a sudden tackle from behind

"We finally found you guys" Konnie smiled, hugging the choking bassist.

"Let him go Konnie. We actually need him to play, remember?" Kim said, appearing behind her sister.

Konnie nodded and let Lenny down, allowing his lungs to embrace air once again.

"Thanks" he wheezed.

"Wow, you girls look great" Carrie commented.

The twins beamed proudly.

"Thanks Carrie. You look really pretty too," Kim said.

Both girls wore a silky dress that lowered to their knees, the only notable difference between them being color. Kim was wearing a light gray dress, while Konnie wore a bright blue one.

"Any idea where those groj losers are?" Carrie asked them.

Both twins shook their heads. Their expressions drifted toward annoyance.

"We have no idea. I can't believe those jerks are standing us up like this" Konnie vented.

As the girls began to vent to each other, something Lenny tried to stay very clear of, the red haired bassist stared at the incoming crowd. All around him, people of regality and grace walked on. Many of them, if not all, held a significant other in their arms.

Lenny sighed. He began to feel slightly jealous of these strangers. They came here as a couple by choice, not because they wanted a new gig for their band. They had no idea what it was like faking a date with your crush, silently hoping that they feel the same way. The pain of the secret weighed heavily in his mind. He needed to tell Carrie how he felt, or risk being trapped in the friend zone forever.

"Is that them?"

Carrie voice snapped Lenny out of his thoughts, forcing him to glance over his shoulder. Walking toward them, looking fairly nervous, was Grojband.

"About time you guys showed up" Kim snapped at them, "We've been here for, like, 10 minutes"

Kin glared at her.

"Its not our fault Corey's sister is Nick Mallory obsessed. The whole way down here, she tried to kiss him in the car. We nearly crashed 13 times!"

"Speaking of which, where is Trina?" Laney asked.

"The moment we parked, she dashed to the hall with Nick. I think she wants to dance with him or something." Corey shrugged.

Carrie stared at the instruments in her rival's hands.

"So, what terrible song are you guys gonna play" she sneered.

Corey smirked.

"None of your business Carrie. Tonight, Grojband's going to blow you girls out of the water fountain"

"The water fountain?"

"Yeah. Unless you have a source of water with which to blow someone out of, the statement would have no relevance."

The seven musicians stared at Corey.

"What?"

Carrie rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. We already shipped our instruments inside so we don't have to carry them around all night", she gestured toward the cases, "Unlike you guys"

Laney gripped her case tightly. What she wouldn't give to shove her case right up Carrie's…

"Guys, the events already started. We need to get in their" Kon suddenly blurted.

"Crap. Come on Grojband, lets get in their" Corey said, grabbing Laney's hand and dashing for the door.

"Hey, wait for us" Kin, Kon, Kim, and Konnie all shouted.

Lenny enveloped Carrie's hand with his own.

"Shall we" he gestured,

Carrie nodded, and the two began walking to the hall.

**(In The Hall Transition)**

"Whoa" Laney whispered.

"Whoa is right Lanes" Corey said to her.

The entire outer walls of the hall had been covered in numerous decorations and streamers. Banners promoting love and peace hung on the wall, a glorious testament to the event. The tables around the hall had been covered in silk white tablecloths, a low light candle placed upon each one. They all surrounded the Peaceville crest, a lion with an olive branch and a scroll, and held the numerous people the bands had seen coming into the event.

"Hey Kids" a familiar voice shouted to them.

Both bands turned, watching their rather small mayor making his way towards them.

"Hey Mayor Mellow. We can't wait to get started with the event" Corey said

The mayor nodded and placed his hand on Corey's shoulder.

"That's great, because you're on in 10 minutes"

"10 minutes! That barely gives us enough time to set up" Laney cried.

The mayor shrugged.

"Sorry, but its all I could do", he turned toward the Newmans, "That's means, you'll be number 2"

Kin and Kon stifled a giggle.

"You guys are so immature" Carrie snapped at them.

She turned toward her band.

"Alright ladies. I guess all we can do know is enjoy the party"

Kim and Konnie cheered and dashed off into the crowd.

"Guys, wait up. Lens, lets go"

Lenny nodded, and the two remaining Newmans chased after their friends.

Corey watched them go, a slight look of annoyance on his face.

"Something wrong Core?" Laney asked him.

Corey shrugged her off,

"Its nothing Lanes. Come on Grojband, let's get this party started"

**(Setting Up Transition)**

Carrie smiled. Kim and Konnie were mingling with the crowd, making friends with whomever they could. They did it so easily that Carrie felt slightly jealous. She wouldn't admit it, but she had a rather hard time making friends. Many people considered her stuck up and rude; a description she denied, but knew was true. It made her feel lonely sometimes, never knowing who was truly a friend to her.

"Is that a freaking chocolate fountain?!" Carrie heard Lenny exclaim.

Lenny was different though. He was unlike anyone she had ever meet, boy or girl. He was funny, always had her back, and was one of the best bassists she knew. Out of all the people in her life, she felt that Lenny knew her best.

"Car, you have got to try this," The red haired bassist said, his mouth filled with chocolate strawberries.

And he always had a way of making her smile.

"Set me up Lens" she said, walking toward the fountain.

Her friend nodded, tossing her a strawberry. Both of them began dunking the fruit, smothering the poor things in chocolate. Carrie felt the tension of the night begin to vanish. Standing here, with her best friend, just felt right.

"Hello Peaceville" the mayor's voice echoed throughout the hall.

The Newmans stopped their activities as look onto the stage. Mayor Mellow stood in a bright spotlight, the dark silhouettes of Grojband standing behind him.

"Welcome, one and all, to the first ever World Peace Event! Each one of you comes from a different place, and different culture, and different race. But under the skin, we all have the same heart within. Let your heart dance and let your heart sing, turn on your hears to here this wonderful ring"

The mayor pointed behind him, revealing the smiling faces of Grojband.

"Give it up, for Smojband" The mayor shouted.

"Uh, that's Grojband" Corey corrected him.

"Whatever. Lets go try that fountain mother" the mayor said, walking off stage.

Corey rolled his eyes and grabbed a mike.

"Hello citizens of the world. Lets make some noise!"

The crowd responded with a loud cheer. Corey turned his head to his bedmates.

"Lets do this"

**Authors Note: Sorry for the long update. I know you guys hear that a lot from people, with good reason, but thanks for waiting anyway. Songs for both bands will be coming in the next two chapters, so stayed tuned!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Authors Note: The song is _You're in My Heart_ by Rod Stewart. For the full experience, I would really suggest listening to it when reading. Thanks for reading, and the Newmans song will be up in the next chapter.**

Corey began slowly strumming his guitar. He began singing into the microphone.

_I didn't know what day it was__  
__When you walked into the room__  
__I said hello I noticed__  
__You said goodbye too soon _

_Breezing through the clientele__  
__Spinning yarns that were so lyrical__  
__I really must confess right here__  
__The attraction was purely physical_

_I took all those habits of yours__  
__That in the beginning were hard to accept__  
__Your fashion sense, beardsly prints__  
__I put down to experience__The big bosomed lady with the Dutch accent__  
__Who tried to change my point of view__  
__Her ad lib lines were well rehearsed__  
__But my heart cried out for you_

_You're in my heart, you're in my soul__  
__You'll be my breath should i grow old__  
__You are my lover, you're my best friend__  
__You're in my soul_

_My love for you is immeasurable__  
__My respect for you immense__  
__You're ageless, timeless, lace and fineness__  
__You're beauty and elegance_

_You're a rhapsody, a comedy__  
__You're a symphony and a play__  
__You're every love song ever written__  
__But honey what do you see in me_

_You're in my heart, you're in my soul__  
__You'll be my breath should i grow old__  
__You are my lover, you're my best friend__  
__You're in my soul__  
_

_You're an essay in glamour__  
__Please pardon the grammar__  
__But you're every schoolboy's dream__  
__You're celtic, united, but baby I've decided__  
__You're the best thing I've ever seen_

_And there have been many affairs__  
__Many times I've thought to leave__  
__But i bite my lip and turn around__  
__'cause you're the warmest thing I've ever found_

_You're in my heart, you're in my soul__  
__You'll be my breath should i grow old__  
__You are my lover, you're my best friend__  
__You're in my soul._

The song slowly faded in the hall, leaving a deep silence among the crowd. Slowly, a loud uproar of cheer and clapping began exploding.

"Me oh my, that song was super fly" Mayor Mellow cheered, suddenly appearing on stage.

He gestured to the band.

"Grojband, Ladies and Gentlemen"

Corey felt his heart swell with pride. He glanced back at Laney, a small smirk etched upon his face. She smiled back, making his heart swell even more. He jumped in the air, cheering back to the crowd.

**(P.O.V Transition)**

Carrie felt her stomach do summersaults. Riffen's song had been really good, like, really good. For once that night, Carrie felt a slimmer of doubt climb into her heart.

"Her Car, you okay?" Lenny asked her.

Carrie turned to her best friend and put on a fake smile.

"Sure Lens. I feel great" she lied.

"You sure? Cause Corey's song was really good. It was pretty heartfelt and sincere. I don't even know if we have a chance of beating them now" Kim interjected.

"I agree" Konnie added

Carrie glared at her friends.

"Thank you Kim. I sure those deep words of wisdom can easily inspire confidence to our performance"

Kim's face dropped.

"Sorry" she muttered,

Carrie sighed. She walked over to Kim and placed her hand on the pianists shoulder.

"Its alright Kim. You're completely right, but we can't let that stop us now", She turned to Lenny, "I'm sure you're song can beat them Lens. Heck, if someone wrote a song like that for me, I would date them in second"

Lenny felt his face turn slightly red.

"Really? Because actually…"

"Hey girls" a familiar voice interrupted.

Carrie turned, surprised by the sudden appearance of the Mayor.

"Hey Mayor Mellow. How'd you get of the stage so fast?"

Mellow ignored the question, flicking open his watch. He looked up at Carrie.

"Seems you guys are up in a few minutes. If you girls are half as good as that other group of kids, I can guarantee you'll go far tonight".

Carrie nodded as the mayor scuttled away. She turned to her band.

"Alright Newman's, lets get to the stage"

"Carrie, I really need to talk with you for a second" Lenny said suddenly.

Carrie shook her head.

"Sorry Lens. Lets just focus on the gig right now, okay?"

Lenny sighed dejectedly.

"Alright" he muttered.

"That's the spirit", Carrie grabbed his hand, " Lets go"

**(Double Chapter Transition)**

"Wow Corey. That song felt awesome" Kon cheered as the band walked off the stage.

Corey shrugged.

"What can I say? I'm pretty great"

Laney punched him in the arm playfully,

"Alright rock star. Just remember that the Newmans still have to go"

"Come on Lanes, you really think they could top our performance? We had the crowd in the palm of our hands"

Laney rolled her eyes. She knew better than to argue with Corey after a great gig.

"Whatever you say Core"

"That's the spirit Lanes" Corey said, putting his arm around her, "Whatever I say".

Kin and Kon faceplamed.

"What?" Corey asked, confusion covering his face,

"Dude, that was the lamest thing I have ever heard" Kin said bluntly.

"Yeah man. At least try harder to use a pick line on Laney" Kon nodded.

Corey felt his face go red. He pushed himself away from the base player.

"What are you guys talking about? I wasn't trying to use a pick up line on Lanes" Corey said, waving his arms in denial, "I mean, she's just my friend. Nothing more"

Laney felt her shoulders slump.

"Dude, Corey, you're digging your grave deeper man" Kon shook his head.

Corey sighed.

"Whatever. I think the Newmans are up in few minutes, so we have some time to kill."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking bro?" Kin said excitingly to his brother.

"Chocolate fountain?"

"Chocolate fountain"

The twins cheered and dashed for the ever-cascading water flow of chocolate. Corey turned towards Laney, his heart still filled with guilt over the incident in the garage. A light bulb lit up in his head however, as he notice the hall was playing slow classical music as an intermission between the two bands. He held out his hand.

"Sill want that dance?" he smiled.

Laney looked up from her slump and smiled.

"Sure Core. But if you even think of dropping me again, I will end you" she glared.

Corey nodded as his hand enveloped hers.

"Don't worry" he smiled, "I won't let go"


	11. Chapter 11

"You okay Lenny?"

The bassist turned from tuning his base and gave a small smile.

"Yeah Kim, I'm fine"

Kim gave him a look of disbelief.

"Don't lie to me Lenny, I've known you too long for that"

She sat down beside her red haired friend.

"What's wrong?"

Lenny stared past her.

"Where's Konnie?" he asked.

"Don't try and change the subject. She and Carrie are busy prepping the stage, and you're back here, alone, tuning your base. So I'll ask you again, what's up?"

Lenny sighed. He returned to tuning his base.

"Nothings wrong Kim. Just hoping my songs good enough, that's all"

"Good enough for the show, or good enough for Carrie?"

Lenny stopped for a moment.

"You know about that," he muttered.

Kim rolled her eyes.

"Well duh. Everyone can see that you like her as more than a friend"

"Except her, you mean"

Kim stayed silent for a moment.

"I suppose she can be pretty oblivious. What I don't understand is how you haven't told her yet"

Lenny scoffed.

"And have her reject me as nothing more than a friend, yeah right"

"You don't know that. Why do you think Konnie and I told her about your song in the first place"?

"Because you guys are cruel manipulator who love to watch tormented soul dance in your evil games"

Kim smiled.

"Well yes. But that wasn't the whole point. Konnie and I both know how much you like Carrie, and we both think that you guys would make a cute couple. That's why we brought up the song"

"2 minutes left Newmans" the mayors voiced echoed back stage.

The two band mates arose from their position. They began walking toward the stage before Lenny turned to face Kim.

"Thanks Kim, really, but I don't think that it's going to work. This event will pass and I'll just be stuck in the friend zone again"

Kim glared at him. She placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Then tell her. Tonight, I need you to promise me you'll tell Carrie how you feel. And if you won't, Konnie and I will"

Lenny stared at his friend for a moment, his tongue at a sudden loss for words. He smiled.

"Alright"

Kim smiled. She gave her friend a pat on his shoulder before the two resumed walking toward the stage.

"That'll give you enough time to dance with Kin, won't it?" Lenny suddenly spoke.

Kim flushed a deep shade of crimson. Lenny chuckled at her reaction, and the duo took their places on stage.

**(Wicked Cool Transition)**

Kon smiled as he stared at his friends on the dance floor. After years of dealing with Corey's obliviousness, it was nice to see Laney finally get her chance.

"Hey Kon, you over here?"

Kon glanced to his side and saw Kin strolling towards him.

"Hey bro. Check out the dance floor"

Kin peered out into the crowd of people and gasped.

"Corey, dancing with Laney! When did this happen. Did a flying pig go by that we didn't see"?

Kon chuckled. He stared out into the crowd, a small sigh escaping his lips.

"You okay Kon?" Kin asked his brother.

"No, I'm doing fine. Just feeling a little lonely I guess."

"Lonely? You're surrounded by hundreds of people"

Kon rolled his eyes as Kin sheepishly grinned.

"You know what I mean dude. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, I mean, who would want to dance with a fat kid like me?"

Kin grabbed his brother's shoulder.

"That's complete crap and you know it. You are a kind loving soul who likes to have fun and rock out with his friends. Anyone who can't see past physical appearance doesn't deserve someone like you"

Kon stared at his brother for a moment, tears slightly beginning to form in his eyes. He whipped them away with his hand.

"Thanks bro, I really needed that"

Kin patted his brother on the shoulder.

"No worries big guy. We all need a good pep talk every now and again. And about your lonely situation..." Kin nonchalantly coughed into his hand, "Maybe you could ask Konnie to dance"

"From the Newmans? I thought we were supposed to hate them"

Kin avoided his brother's gaze.

"We are. I just thought, you know, we could make a special exception tonight"

"We?" Kon slyly grinned at his brother.

"Yes we. I was just thinking about asking Kim to dance after their performance, and I thought maybe you guys would want to join us"

Kon wrapped his brother in a big hug, nearly suffocating the keyboardist.

"Awww. My twin brothers growing up" he cooed.

"Whatever. I just thought it would be nice, that's all" Kin blushed slightly.

"Sure bro. Lets do it" Kon said, releasing his brother.

Kin smiled at his brother.

"Cool"

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" a booming voice echoed throughout the hall.

The two brothers turned their attention to the stage.

"I'd like to welcome our second act for the night, The Newmans!"

The crowd began clapping; welcoming the gender bent rivals of Grojband onto the stage. The mayor handed the microphone to Carrie before quickly scurrying of stage.

"Hello Peaceville!" Carrie yelled into the device.

The crowd responded in a roar of cheering and clapping.

"Tonight, we have a little something special planned. Our bassist, Lenny, has written a heartfelt song that we'd all like to share with you tonight. So good job Lens, and we hope you enjoy the show"

Kim began playing softly on her keyboard.

_I hear the ticking of the clock  
I'm lying here the room's pitch dark  
I wonder where you are tonight  
No answer on the telephone  
_

_And the night goes by so very slow  
Oh I hope that it won't end though  
Alone_

T_ill now I always got by on my own_  
_I never really cared until I met you_  
_And now it chills me to the bone_  
_How do I get you alone_  
_How do I get you alone_

_You don't know how long I have wanted_  
_To touch your lips and hold you tight, oh_  
_You don't know how long I have waited_  
_and I was going to tell you tonight_

_But the secret is still my own_  
_and my love for you is still unknown_  
_Alone_

_Till now I always got by on my own_  
_I never really cared until I met you_  
_And now it chills me to the bone_  
_How do I get you alone_  
_How do I get you alone_  
_How do I get you alone_  
_How do I get you alone_  
_Alone, alone_

Kim finished playing the last note, letting it echo throughout the hall. The crowd sat there for a moment before erupting in a massive eruption of applause and cheering. The Newmans walked to the front of the stage and took a bow.

"That was marvelous girls," the mayor said, suddenly appearing out of thin air.

Lenny rolled his eyes. The mayor ignored him and addressed the crowd.

"Okay folks, this is it. You've seen two great performances tonight, but only one can be you're final act for the night. So vote for who you think is should be, then you'll just have to wait and see"

Carrie reached out and grabbed Lenny's hand.

"Moment of truth" she muttered to him.

Lenny stared at their clasped hands, then back up to Carrie.

"Yeah", he said, "I think it is"

**Authors Note: The song you have just read is "Alone" by the fantastic band Heart. Really great song that, again, I think you guys should check out. On a side note, I'm sorry for the improper paragraph forms of the last song. I was in such a hurry to get the chapter out that I completely forgot to check my own work. Its fixed now so no worries. Things begin heating up next chapter so stay tuned.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Authors Note: Sorry about the wait guys and gals. Enjoy the chapter!**

To say that Laney was having the time of her life would be an understatement. Best moment of forever sounded right though. Her best friend, her crush, had actually asked her to dance with him. Laney had been skeptical at first; the garage incident still remained fresh in her mind. Yet when she had looked into Corey's eyes, she could actually see the sincerity and warmth coming from them. She held out her hand and allowed herself be swept up into a fantasy come true.

"Not bad Core" she smiled after a few steps, "You actually seem to know how to dance without dropping me this time"

"Yeah, sorry about that. But hey, maybe I just needed the right motivation" he winked

Laney blushed as he twirled her around. Corey was going slower than he had in the garage, almost as if he was trying to keep her close for as long as possible. Laney never liked getting her hopes up, but was it possible Corey was starting to like her?

"You okay Lanes" the front man asked, noticing the spaced out look his band mate was giving him.

Laney snapped out of her thoughts, her focus now solely on her best friend. Her eyes grew determined.

"Hey Core…"

"Ladies and Gentlemen! I'd like to welcome our second act for the night, The Newmans!"

Laney groaned in frustration. The mayor always seemed to have the worst timing in the history of everything. The two friends stopped dancing and turned their attention to the stage.

'I can't wait to see how bad the Newmans are going to lose" Corey smiled.

Laney gave her friend a supportive smile and watched as their rivals took the stage.

**(After Song Transition)**

To her surprise, Laney found herself clapping alongside the crowd. Lenny's song had been really good. Smiling to herself, Laney felt she knew for whom the song had been written for. She turned to Corey.

"Well, it wasn't terrible" Laney said, awaiting the reaction from her friend.

Corey didn't speak, his face beginning to contort into a frown.

"Core?"

Corey ignored her, and began making his way through the crowd and toward the chocolate fountain. As he walked his expression turned into one of anger as he began shoving people out of the way. Laney dashed after him, apologizing to everyone on the ground. Corey was usually such a nice guy; this wasn't like him at all.

"Core" she yelled at him as he finally stopped, "What did you do that for. Those people didn't deserve that"

"Kin. Kon" Corey called out, ignoring the words of his red haired friend.

The twins appeared instantly, their mouths covered in chocolate.

"What's up?" Kin asked.

"I need to speak with you" his eyes quickly glanced towards Laney, "Privately"

The twins shared a quick look of confusion with Laney. She shrugged and gestured that it was all right.

"Sure dude. What do you need?" Kon smiled.

Corey nodded and huddled the twins into a circle. He began whispering his plan into their ears. This continued for about a minute before Kin suddenly pushed himself from the circle.

"Are you serious? Do you know what that could do!?" he exclaimed at Corey.

The front man nodded.

"I do. This could be our only chance to be on international television Kin, we can't waste this opportunity"

"But Corey, we don't even know if we've won yet" Kon said, offering his input into the conversation.

Corey glared at the twins, his eyes filled with anger and apathy. He shook his head.

"We will win. Just do what I say, and trust me on this one" he commanded.

The brothers shared a brief show of concern before nodding in defeat.

"Alright dude. We'll get set up right away" Kin said.

Corey smiled and patted their backs.

"That's the spirit guys. Don't worry, everything's going to work out perfectly"

Corey made his way back toward a concerned looking Laney as the twins set off towards their task.

"What was that all about?' Laney asked him.

"Can't tell you Lanes. It would ruin the surprise" Corey smirked.

Ignoring Laney's confused looks, the guitarist made his way toward the refreshment table.

"Core?"

Corey grabbed the large punch bowl up on the table. The bowl was nearing its emptiness, but a good portion of the punch still remained.

"Perfect" Corey grinned evilly.

Careful not to spill, Corey carried the large bowl over to the chocolate fountain. He continued smiling as he placed the bowl under the cascading flow of candy. The combination of the two substances began mixing together, forming a reddish brown heap of sludge.

"What's that for?" Laney asked, suddenly appearing behind her friend.

Corey grabbed the bowl and held the substance out to her.

"Simple Lanes. This little concoction here is going to get us a new set of lyrics. I call it, dump disgusting sludge on Trina in front of hunky Nick Mallory and allow the embarrassment to make her emotions explode so we can get killer lyrics and become the big time, which is now in," Corey took a deep breath, "Play!"

The guitarist looked to his friend in support, yet was only able to see a look of concern.

"What?"

"I don't know about this Core. Don't you think it's a bit much? I mean, Trina is really cruel and she definitely deserves a lot of negative karma, but she's still your sister"

Corey felt his face darken.

"So she gets a little embarrassed. So what. We need lyrics Lanes, you know I can't play without them"

"Look Core," Laney began, placing a supportive hand on his shoulder, "Its not that simple. You're right that dumping this crud on Trina would embarrass her in front of Nick, but what about everyone else? What if, by doing this, you scar her for life? She would be a nervous wreck, Core. How would we get lyrics then, and how would you feel knowing that you hurt your sister so bad that she would never be the same?"

A deep silence fell between the friends. Corey set the bowl on the ground and stepped away from Laney's reach.

"I should have known," he angrily muttered.

"Known what?" Laney asked nervously.

Corey snapped his glaring eyes upon his friend.

"That you never really cared about the band" he growled.

Laney's own face began contorting in anger. She took a step toward her crush.

"What are you talking about!" she cried, "Everything I've ever done has been for this band. I'm the bands manager for goodness sake!"

"Then why in the world is it always you fault when things go wrong?" Corey snorted in disbelief.

"Excuse Me?"

Corey groaned in frustration.

"You're just so selfish" he cried.

Laney took another step forward and slapped Corey across the face.

"I don't know what's going on right now Corey, but I don't like it. What is going on with you?" She demanded.

Corey rubbed his face for a moment, the impact of the slap still lingering in his cheek. He felt his anger bubble up.

"Its you alright!" he cried, "Its all your fault. All day, all I can think about is you. How you look in your dress, how you have such an awesome personality, how you always know what do when everything seems to go wrong. Its your fault I can't focus, its your fault we might lose, it your fault that I'm falling for yo…"

Corey stopped, coughing to cover up his last words. Laney stood in front of him, silenced by his sudden words.

"Look Lanes," Corey continued as if he had never stopped, "All I'm saying is that you need to stop being s selfish distraction and actually try to help the band tonight"

Laney snapped and angrily grabbed Corey by his shirt.

"Look Corey, I want this thing to go just as well as you do. I want Grojband to be the biggest and coolest band in history. But if we sacrifice our morals in the process, what's the point of even staying in the band?"

"Then maybe you shouldn't stay in the band. Maybe you should leave and never come back!" Corey yelled at her.

Laney let go of Corey's shirt, tears beginning to form in her eyes. Corey, upon realizing what he had just said, took a step towards her.

"Lanes…"

Laney held up her hand, tears already beginning to flow down her cheeks,

"You're right Core, I have been selfish. I wanted the band to succeed and beat the Newmans. But secretly, all I wanted to do was go on a date with the guy I've had a crush on forever. The cool, spunky rocker kid who always seemed to have a smile on his face." Laney turned her back on Corey.

"But I guess that was crazy. If that's how you really feel, I won't bother you again"

And with that, Laney dashed off, crying, into the crowd. Corey watched her go, an expression of horror and guilt etched upon his face.

"What have I done?"


	13. Chapter 13

**Authors Note: Sorry about the short chapter. In honor of Me With No You reaching 100 reviews, I wanted to give you guys a quick extra chapter. Speaking of which, shout out to Jeanette Violet for being the 100th reviewer! Enjoy the chapter!**

"I can't believe we have to wait half an hour before the results come in," Carrie grunted.

"We just played Car, people need time to vote" Lenny tried to reason with her.

Carrie sighed.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. But what are we supposed to do for 30 minutes?"

"We could try mingling with the crowd, and convince people to vote for us," Kim suggested.

"Nah. I want people to vote for us because we were good, not because we convinced them to," Carrie said, "I mean, if you can't like something for what it is, then how can you be convinced to?"

Kim nodded in understanding and, making eye contact with Lenny, nonchalantly nodded her head towards Carrie.

"Go for it" she whispered.

"Did you say something Kim?" Konnie asked, suddenly appearing from behind her sister.

Lenny sighed. It was now or never.

"Hey Car"

Carrie snapped out of her deep thinking and turned to her red-haired friend.

"Yeah?"

"Well…"

"OMG!" a young voice suddenly screeched.

The Newmans quickly jumped out of the way of the speeding duo of Kate and Allie, both of them having looks of terror and nervousness plastered on their faces.

"Whoa there girls," Carrie grabbed the back of their dresses, "How in the world did you guys get in here?"

"We wanted to see Grojband play on TV" Allie whined

"But now we can't because Grojband broke up" Kate cried.

Carrie set the girls down, her eyes flashing with interest.

"How so?" she asked the two girls.

"Laney and Corey had a big fight. Laney admitted she had a crush on Corey, he yelled at her, and she quit the band," the fan girls explained in unison.

Carrie smiled evilly.

"Thank you for information pip-squeaks. Now beat it, before I get my foot to do it for you"

Kate and Allie glared at Carrie before running off into the crowd. A few seconds later, Mayor Mellow burst from the audience. He was breathing heavily and his face looked very tired.

"Have you girls seen two other little girls running through here?" he asked the Newmans.

Carrie pointed in the direction that Kate and Allie had run. The Mayor smiled in relief.

"Thanks" he said, before taking a deep breath and running off after the groupies.

Carrie waved him off before turning towards her friends.

"There you go Newmans, we get to be on TV tonight" she smiled.

Lenny sighed. He couldn't imagine what Laney was going through right now. It must have been some fight to make her quit the band.

"I guess it serves her right anyway"

Lenny was jerked out of his thoughts. He turned towards the source of the voice.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked Carrie.

The blue-haired female rolled her eyes.

"Come on Lens, you have to admit its pretty pathetic. If you have a crush on someone, you should just tell them. Putting it off only makes you look like a coward and a loser"

"Carrie…" Kim tried to interfere.

"Not to mention having a crush on your best friend. I've never heard of something so clichéd and stupid. Everyone knows that those relationships would never work out anyway"

"So I guess that makes me a clichéd stupid loser then, huh?" Lenny suddenly snapped.

His band mates looked at him in surprise. Lenny had never snapped at anyone before.

"W-what do you mean Lens?" Carrie asked him.

Lenny threw up his hands in frustration. All the years of keeping quiet suddenly began bursting from his mouth.

"I like you Carrie!" he shouted, " But you're so darn oblivious that you never even noticed. Everything I've done tonight has been for you. My song, the one that I spent so much time writing and the one you called stupid, that was for you too. I always thought you were the most beautiful and caring person I had ever met. But I guess I was wrong. Maybe I am just a loser, hoping for something that could never happen"

Carrie remained silent, Lenny's words whirling within the depths of her mind. She took a step towards him.

"No" Lenny said, holding up his hand, "I don't care what you have to say anymore. I'm done. Done with this stupid event, and done with unappreciative band!"

The red-haired bassist turned his back to his friends, and stormed off.

"Carrie?" The twins turned to their friend.

The lead singer stood there for a moment, ignoring the sounds of the hall around her.

"I think I need some time alone" she whispered.

"We understand" Kim smiled.

She nudged her sister.

"Lets go Konnie"

The blonde drummer nodded and the twins left. Carrie watched them go, her heart heavy and saddened. She stood their, alone, and cried.


End file.
